310 THE ANIMALS OP NEW ZEALAND 



The number of eggs is three or four, and the young birds 

 remain in the nest until they are full grown. 



Mr. C. Lewis has supplied the following interesting information 

 in regard to this bird : — 



"The large black shag is a bird of heavy and laborious flight, 

 but on occasions I have seen him develop an amount of speed to 

 which no other bird in my experience has afforded a parallel. 

 Some years ago, hundreds of these birds freciuented Lake 

 Ellesmere, where they wrought terrible havoc among the fish in 

 the lake and its tributary streams. Not only so, but during the 

 shooting season they annoyed me very much by continually 

 raising false hopes and never coming within range. So. after the 

 close of the season, in company with a friend, I sallied forth to 

 conquer and destroy them. 



' ' They came from a rookery situated on a cliff about five miles 

 from the mouth of Lake Forsyth, and for some days we posted 

 ourselves on the edge of cliffs which they passed on their journeys 

 to and from the lake. In time, however, they gave these cliffs 

 too wide an offing for our purpose, and we followed them round 

 the coast until we found the rookery, where we wreaked an ample 

 vengeance. 



"Our tally for that year amounted to 850. and in the following 

 year four of us could account for only 150 in three days, so that 

 we could fairly claim to have done the State some service. 



"The course which these birds took under normal conditions 

 might be said to be along the outer edge of a semicircle. At times 

 on the homeward route they had to encounter a heavy easterly 

 breeze. It was on such days as these that they came home at a 

 pace which was literally terrific. On arriving at the hill at the 

 moutli of Lake Forsyth, they Ijegan to sail round and round in a 

 spiral fashion, ever mounting higher and higher until they 

 attained an altitude sufficient for their purpose; then, half 

 crossing their wings, they simply fell the two miles or so to their 

 home. The weight of their bodies, the poise they assumed, the 

 height from which they descended, and the distance which they 

 had to travel, combined to produce a rate of speed which was 

 almost incredible. At intervals of a second or two they changed 



